6 sports highlights that made the long weekend one for the ages

If you spent the long holiday weekend desperately trying to escape familial overexposure, the sports world offered plenty of shelter. From all-time finishes in college football to some clownish coaching antics, the past few days had it all.

Let’s start with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who seemingly summoned his inner Tommy Lewis to prevent what would have probably been a Baltimore Ravens TD. Unlike Lewis, Tomlin didn’t get caught. At least initially. Now, he may be facing a stiff fine and perhaps even the loss of a draft pick.

Jason Kidd, in a failed effort to hammer out a victory, tried to ice the game with the old fake-spilled-drink bit against the Los Angeles Lakers. He copped to it and got nailed with a $50,000 fine, admitting that he was just trying to win. Kidd may have lost the game, but he scores high marks for the sheer silliness of the spectacle.

U.S. sports fans didn’t have all the fun. Before we move into the epic action that took place on the college gridiron, heavy underdog Southampton scored one of the Premier League’s fastest goals ever netted. The celebration was short lived as Chelsea responded with three unanswered goals in the second half.

This fake punt on Thanksgiving served as a great taster of what was to come. Of course, after the weekend, it was more of an afterthought. Still, when a punter decides all on his own to hightail it 51 yards for a TD, it’s worth a look.

Now for the main course. Michigan vs. Ohio State had the makings of a lopsided affair, with the latter having everything to play for and the former looking to play spoiler. By the time the final whistle blew and the two-point conversion was botched, we’d been treated to arguably the best game and finish in the history of one of college football’s greatest rivalries … a distinction that only lasted a few hours.

And, of course, the biggie. Nothing tops what Auburn did to Alabama and its hopes for a third-consecutive national championship. The great Nick Saban showed us a rare chink in his armor and Auburn pulled off the most unlikely of upset finishes.

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